Why are Florida patients using medical marijuana and is it working?
A survey of 157 Florida medical marijuana patients found anxiety, pain, and stress were the most common reasons for use, with 65% reporting they reduced or stopped at least one prescription or over-the-counter medication.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Patients most commonly used medical marijuana for anxiety, pain, and stress symptoms. They reported high therapeutic effectiveness. 65% reported either reducing or completely discontinuing at least one prescription or over-the-counter medication after starting medical marijuana.
Key Numbers
157 patients surveyed; 440,000+ registered Florida patients; most common uses: anxiety, pain, stress; 65% reduced or stopped at least one other medication
How They Did This
Cross-sectional online survey of 157 medical marijuana patients enrolled in the Florida medical marijuana program. Assessed demographics, reasons for use, consumption patterns, perceived effectiveness, and medication changes.
Why This Research Matters
Florida has one of the largest medical marijuana patient populations in the US (over 440,000 at the time of study). The high rate of medication reduction suggests medical marijuana may be replacing conventional pharmaceuticals for many patients, with implications for healthcare costs and drug interaction considerations.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that two-thirds of patients reduced other medications highlights a pattern seen in other states: patients are using medical marijuana not just as an add-on but as a replacement for conventional treatments. Whether this substitution is clinically appropriate remains an open question.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small self-selected sample from one state. Self-reported effectiveness without objective measures. No control group. Online survey may not represent all patients. Cannot verify medication changes against medical records.
Questions This Raises
- ?Which specific medications are patients discontinuing?
- ?Are patients making these changes with physician guidance?
- ?Do patients who reduce other medications have better or worse health outcomes long-term?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 65% reduced or stopped other medications
- Evidence Grade:
- Small cross-sectional survey with self-reported outcomes and no control group.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021; Florida's medical marijuana program has continued to grow significantly.
- Original Title:
- Demographics, Perceptions, and Use of Medical Marijuana among Patients in Florida.
- Published In:
- Medical cannabis and cannabinoids, 4(1), 13-20 (2021)
- Authors:
- Rosenthal, Martha S(2), Pipitone, R Nathan(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03469
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What do patients use medical marijuana for most?
In this Florida survey, anxiety, pain, and stress were the most common reasons. Patients reported high therapeutic effectiveness for these conditions.
Do patients stop taking other medications?
65% of surveyed patients reported reducing or completely discontinuing at least one prescription or over-the-counter medication after starting medical marijuana.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- CBD-oil-quality-guide
- anxiety-medication-after-quitting-weed
- cannabis-chemotherapy-nausea
- cannabis-chronic-pain-research
- cannabis-epilepsy-CBD-Epidiolex
- cbd-anxiety-research-evidence
- cbd-for-weed-withdrawal
- cbd-vs-thc-difference
- medical-benefits-of-cannabis
- quitting-weed-before-surgery
- quitting-weed-medication-interactions
- quitting-weed-pregnancy
- quitting-weed-pregnant
- seniors-older-adults-cannabis-risks-medications
- weed-breastfeeding-THC-breast-milk
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03469APA
Rosenthal, Martha S; Pipitone, R Nathan. (2021). Demographics, Perceptions, and Use of Medical Marijuana among Patients in Florida.. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids, 4(1), 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1159/000512342
MLA
Rosenthal, Martha S, et al. "Demographics, Perceptions, and Use of Medical Marijuana among Patients in Florida.." Medical cannabis and cannabinoids, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1159/000512342
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Demographics, Perceptions, and Use of Medical Marijuana amon..." RTHC-03469. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/rosenthal-2021-demographics-perceptions-and-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.